Here's how you can optimize your gaming PC or Laptop to play the latest games.

     With games getting bigger and better in terms of graphics, it is getting harder for most PCs or Laptops to run them as they either lack the minimum system requirement or have slowed down over time.

Many gamers love games like GTA 6 and Black Myth: Wukong, but even the most racked-up PCs have difficulty producing optimum FPS as their minimum system requirements are quite high. 

According to a survey conducted by Steam, on average, there were users per month as of Oct 24, and on average around 6% of them own a 3060 desktoownedPU. Now 6% may seem very, low but considering, that 6% of 132 million is around 79,20,000, which is quite a lot.

In this article, we will cover hardware and software optimization and some maintenance tips.

1. Hardware

GPU

GPUs have the most crucial role of any piece of hardware regarding gaming performance. They are responsible for processing and rendering the graphics of your games. It is obvious the better the GPU the more FPS you get.

Most people don't notice the difference in FPS after 90 FPS, so you don't really need a very powerful GPU to give you 150-200 FPS. But if your GPU is older and does not give more than 30 FPS on low to medium settings, consider upgrading it. Unfortunately, laptop owners don't have that option as their GPU is soldered directly onto the motherboard.

Modern GPUs also come with features like NVidia's DLSS and AMD's FRS, which use AI to generate additional frames to give more FPS. Though DLSS seems superior to FSR, both can get the job done. Laptop owners are also in luck, as there is DLLS in the laptop equivalent of those said GPUs. This makes your laptop or PC future-proof, as many game studios are including DLSS and FSR in their games.

But if you don't have a GPU with upscaling technology (DLSS/FSR), your options are very limited. One thing you can and should always do is keeping your graphics card drivers updated, using the correct software for the respective GPUs i.e. NVIDIA GeForce Experience and AMD Adrenalin Software.

CPU

The CPU also plays an important role in running your games. It is responsible for processing all the background tasks and the physics of your game. But there isn't much you can do to your CPU besides overclocking it and keeping it cool. 

Memory

Everyone who owns a PC or a Laptop understands the importance of RAM. The recommended size of memory is 16GB, you can go higher than this by putting in 32 or 64 GBs of RAM, just make sure that you know the maximum amount of RAM your motherboard can support. Laptop owners can also upgrade their RAM as the laptops usually come with additional RAM slots, but if all your RAM slots are in use then you will have to replace it with a higher capacity RAM stick. If your laptop comes with soldered RAM, then there is nothing you can do about it as it cannot be removed.

One other thing you can do while upgrading is use DDR5 RAMs instead of DDR4. Just make sure your motherboard supports DDR5 and do not do it yourself, get a local technician or repair center to do it.

Storage

A good storage drive can highly improve your loading times, so investing in a fast and reliable SSD is a great idea. And if you have an HDD I recommend switching to an NVMe M.2 SSD (preferably gen 4/PCIe 4.0).

3. Software

 

In-Game Settings

If you do not have enough funds to upgrade or just looking for a way to get more performance without making any purchase, one thing you can try is lowering your graphics settings to get more FPS. I only recommend you do this only when you need high FPS in an ESports game or if your game is unplayable due to low FPS.

GPU and Laptop Software

The software for your GPU allows you to change its mode to performance mode which allows your GPU to draw more power to increase performance. There are some other tweaks you can make like increasing fan speed to keep it cool at the cost of more power usage.

Laptop owners can also do the same and gaming laptop owners have a special software developed by the company that made the said laptop to give an advantage. It provides users special modes and configurations to maximize performance and efficiency.

Background Processes

Make sure to turn off software and other background tasks and unnecessary processes. Also, check the Task Manager to end any process that was running unnecessarily (make sure that it is showing fewer details; if it isn't, click on the bottom left corner to get fewer details; otherwise, you might end a necessary task and have to restart your PC or Laptop).

Window's Performance Mode

Windows also has a performance mode which you can turn on which also does the same thing as the softwares.

4. Thermals and Management

Thermals and Cooling

The temperature of your machine is an integral factor in getting the most performance out of your PC or Laptop. And keeping the temperature regulated is a must and if you don't, your PC will definitely suffer serious damage.

So, here are some of the things you can do if you own a PC :

• Monitor your temps: Keeping a check of your temps is important as it can tell you a lot of important information about your PC. If it is hotter than usual then maybe you should get it checked out by a reliable technician is your service center.
• Increase airflow: If your PC is in a closed space or under your desk, then you should put it up on the desk to increase airflow. This will allow the fans to suck in more cool air and disperse hot air even. If you don't do this, the dispersed hot air will get sucked in and make your PC even hotter.
• Repasting: If you don't know what repasting is and what it does then you must first understand what 'thermal paste' is. It's basically a paste applied to the CPU to transfer its heat more efficiently. It wears down over time so it is recommended that you repaste it annually.

And if you own a gaming laptop then, the things you can do are pretty similar but there are some limitations and here they are:

• Airflow: Instead of putting it on the table just like that, try raising it from the back to increase air intake and exhaust. There are special stands available online for cheap too. But I recommend investing in a good and reliable laptop cooling pad. These have fans that circulate air for better temps.
• Repasting: Repasting is a bit different compared to a PC as the GPU also needs to be repasted and it is a bit harder to reach the CPU and GPU.

5. Conclusion

If you follow these tips, will be able to get better FPS, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't upgrade and if you were thinking of upgrading, you should definitely do so. If your PC is struggling to keep up with today's demands, then instead of trying to optimize to get some performance out of it, just upgrade. 

Well that is it for this article, Thank You for reading it till the end and I hope you enjoyed it.

Have a good day!